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Ships Signals. N0. 133,385. y Patented Nov..-26l, 872.

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Ships Signals. No. 133,385. Patented N0v.2e,1s72.

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Ships Signals.

No. 133,385; Patented N0v.26,'1872..

GEORGE READ, on LEAL, AND JOHN JAMES nioxoLL, or SOUTH HILL HOUSE,eEAvEsENn, GREAT EHrrArN.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHIPS SIGNALS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 133,385, dated November26, 1872.

for public use a simple practical means Whereby the position of a shipand the course she is steerin g may be indicated to other vessels bymeans of signal-lamps and semaphores carried aloft, and so constructedand connected to the tiller or rudder that the character and appearanceof said signals will beautomatically changed by the movement of thetiller or rudder of the ship, so as to pre! sent, for example, a whitelight when she is steering straight ahead, a red light when her helm isaport, and a green light when it is to the starboard. To this end theinvention consists, first, in the employment of a guide-frame, acylinder or lens box supported by the frame, and a lamp inclosed withinthe cylinder or lens box, the cylinder being capable of slidin g in oron the frame and over the lamp, or the lamp being capable of sliding inthe cylinder, and the whole being connected to the tiller or rudder bysuitable means, for the purpose referred to; and, secondly, in theemployment of a system of weights to take up the Slack of theconnecting-cords 'and keep them taut at all times, so that the signalswill instantly respond to the movements of the helm, all as hereinafterdescribed.

In the daytime instead of lights we employ a semaphore or yard arm,which, being operated in a similar manner from the steering apparatus,its various positions will indicate whether the ship is steering aport,right ahead, or a starboard course; and in order that our said inventionmay be fully understood and readily carried into effect, we will proceedto describe the drawing hereunto annexed.

Figure l represents a side elevation of the apparatus as placed inposition on the foremast of the ship; Figs. 2 and 3, respectively, afront elevation and plan of 'the same; Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7,respectively, a front eleva-tion,

plan, vertical, and horizontal sections of the same to a larger scale.

Like letters refer to similar parts in each of these figures.

A, the signaling-cylinder, shown suspended to the stay B, and withinwhich cylinder the lamp C is caused to slide up and down in uniinder ishoisted into ,position and the guidelines tightened by means of a line,H, one end of which is attached to the cross-piece E, and the other rovethrough the pulley-blocks J K, being then carried down to the foot ofthe mast, where it is made fast. The bloclr J is provided with a ring,which allows it to be raised or lowered on the stay B at pleasure. Inopenings in the front part of the cylinder are inserted the lenses L MN, the upper one L being, Say, red, the middle one M white, and thelower one N green. The said lenses are of the usual segmental form, asshown in the sectional plan, Fig. 7, -in-order to allow the rays oflight emanating from the lamp to be visible over the requisite arc; or,if preferred, they may be made circular, so 'as to show a light allround. 'Ihel lamp C is constructed as an ordinary ships lamp, bypreference circular in plan, and provided with reflectors suited to thearc of the lenses. A guidegroove, O, formed in it, receives a tongue orfillet, I), tted in the cylinder to prevent the lamp turning therein.Holes for the admission of air into the cylinder, to support combustionin the lamp, may be conveniently formed in this llet, which is shownhollow, other holes being out in the back of the cylinder to admit airinto the hollow fillet. By this means drafts of air in the cylinder orlamp may be avoided. The lamp is attached to a lanyard, Q, which passesup through the cover B of the cylinder over the pulley-block S fastenedto the crosspiece E, and down the mast to near the deck, where it isattached to a line connected with some convenient and suitable movingpart of the steering apparatus. This line connected with the steeringapparatus may be a single line, such as T, attached at one end to, say,the tiller, as shown, and, being led by guidepulleys, preferably beneaththe deck, into a suitable position, has at its other end a balance-Weight, U. The motion of the steering apparatus in moving the rudder toone side Will thus impart tothe line T a movement in one direction,raising the Weight U, and when the rudder is moved to the opposite sidethe Weight will draw the line in the opposite direction. Thelamp-lanyard Q, being attached` to the said line or to the Weight, asshown, will receive a corresponding movement. A Weight, V, may also beapplied to the other side of the tiller to eounterbalance the Weight U.It will now be understood thatthe lines Q and T being connected togetherin such manner that when the helm is amidships the lamp C in thecylinder is suspended opposite to the white lens-any movement of thehelm to the starboard or port side will depress or elevate the lamp soas to bring it opposite to the green or red lens, and thus indicate at adistance from. the ship Whether she is steering a starboard, rightahead, or port course and, when desired, the position of the lamp in thecylinder may be indicated to the ot'- icer of the watch by the holes I II in the back of the cylinder provided with colored glassescorresponding to the lenses. The line T should be attached to that partof the steering-gear that will meve the lamp from the White lens to oneof the colored ones before the rudder shall have altered the course ofthe ship to any material extent, (or, if preferred, it ma-y be soregulated as to shor the light only at the last turn of thesteeringwheel either Way.) The relative positions of the lamp and lensesare not altered by the further movement of the rudder in the samedirection, by reason, in the one case, of the' lampcoming in contactwith the cover R and raising the said cylinder thereby, and, in theother case, by the lamp resting on the spring W, or on the bottom ofthecylinder the lamp, lanyard Q becoming slack. By these means the lamp cannever be moved beyond the lenses. The cover It of the cylinder may beremoved to admit the lamp, after which it is t closed and fastened bythumbscrews or staples and Wedge, as shown. Instead of the `single lineor rope T and balance-Weight U, I. `1an endless'line and leadingpulleys, such as l`X, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, carried `,round`the deck in any convenient manner and esition, or rods and crankedlevers or other iitable mechanism, may be employed to imart motionto thelamp; and it will be seen preferred the lamp may be made to remstationary, and motion only given to the cylinder by similar means tothese described for movingqthelamp. One modification of 1th apparatus bywhich this may be carried tofetl t isgslioyvn in Figs. 8, 9, 10, 11, in

which it will be seen that a cylindrical shade, Y, incloses the circularburner of the lamp C. This shade is composed of colored glassessimilarly to the lenses of the cylinder before described, and isoperated from the steeringgear by the line Q. In this case the lamp Greniains stationary in the enveloping lantern A, which is provided withone clear or White lens, M', and, the parti-colored shade Y being movedup and down around the burner, similar effects are produced to thosebefore described, in which the lamp is moved inside the cylinder. It' itis desired not to exhibit a white light when the helm is amidships thewhite lens may be omitted and the cylinder or cylindrical shade leftsolid or opaque between the red and green lenses. Figs. l and 2 alsoshow a semaphore or yard arm arranged and operated so as to indicate inthe daytime the movements of the rudder. A1 is the semaphore-armcentered on a pin and placed in some conspicuous position en the forepart of the ship, as on the mast. Q1 Q2, lanyards attached one to eachside ofthe center thereof;

these lanyards are led down and connected to the endless line X, or tothe Weighted line T before described, in such manner that the motion ofthe rudder shall elevate, as shown, that arm of the semaphore whichcorresponds to the side of the ship toward which the helm Vis put over,and thus indicate the direction she is taking or is about to take.

Instead et' applying the before-described apparatus at the mast-head,one such may be appliedto each side ofthe ship, and, bein g connectedwith the steerin ggear, will indicate in a more l efficient manner thanthe present regulation lights the position a ships helm may bein at anymoment by so arranging the lenses that the color visible shall be thatwhich accords with the side to which the helm is put over, and when soapplying the apparatus We prefer to usea mast-head or position light,the front of which shows White and the starboard and port sides greenand red, respectively, for the purpose of indicating the generaldirection a ship may be taking. The apparatus is also applicable toships riding at anchor wherein the helm is sometimes lashed, say toport, the cable being at sheer on port bow, thus giving to another shipa chance of anchoring in a clear berth on the starboard side.

It Will be readily understood that this apparatus is applicable to avariety of purposes Where signaling is required, as for example1 inharbors, to indicate to a ship about to enter the course she shouldfollow, by simply moving the lamp in the cylinder opposite to thecolored lens, indicating the direction to which the ships helm should beput over. Also, by employing a suitable notation and code correspondingto the colors and position of the lenses in the cylinder, any requiredmessages or signals may be transmitted, Whether on sea or land; and forthis purpose several cylinders and lamps `may be employed, with thelenses arranged and combined in any suitable manner, the lamp beingmoved in the cylinder by hand or by mechanical means, as may bepreferred.

We claim as our invention- The guide frame or lines, the lens box orcylinder, capable of a vertical movement in or upon the said fra-me orlines, and the lamp, capable of a vertical movement relatively to thelens box or cylinder and to the guide-frame or lines, when combined witheach other and with the tiller or rudder and connecting-lines,

substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The Weights U V, arranged in .guides and combined with the automaticsignal apparatus, herein described, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

In Witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our hands this 13th dayof July, 1872.

GEORGE READ,

Chief Ocer R. N. JOHN JAMES NIOKOLL. Witnesses:

H. C. DAVEY, F. FINcH.

